There are many disclosures in the prior art of athletic shoes and boots which include structures for supporting the foot. Typically, such additional support for the foot is not provided in common walking, or normal wear, shoes. Although walking does not normally subject the ankle and foot to the equivalent stresses of athletic movement, the need for enhanced ankle support exists nonetheless.
Normal wear shoes typically do not provide any enhanced ankle support systems within the shoe structure. This results in unnecessary ankle injuries through twisting, shock, and trauma. Similarly, chafing and bruising of the lateral and medial ankle bones result from use of normal wear shoes that are excessively rigid. A further problem exists in normal wear footwear due to a singular lacing system which does not accommodate variable needs for support. Individual wearers of such shoes require different lacing systems and support systems for different parts of their feet. Furthermore, different wearers who have the same shoe length and width size, nevertheless require different instep fit as determined by the tightness of shoe lacings and the ability of the shoe to conform to the shape of the instep and ankle regions. It is also commonplace for debris to enter normal wear shoes through the opening surrounding the ankle area due to flexing of the shoe during walking. To reduce the size of the opening without causing uncomfortable constriction of the foot, particularly the ankle and instep, is therefore a recognized need.
Athletic shoes and boots are well known to include certain support structures for the foot. As illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,182 which issued to Al Powers on Oct. 30, 1973, an athletic shoe is designed for wear without stockings, and is therefore made of principally soft material. The rear of the shoe has extra padding designed to protect principally the Achilles tendon. That padding is described as a thick collar along the upper rear portion of said ankle opening except at the extreme rear thereof which is designed to closely surround the Achilles tendon of the foot. The Powers invention does not disclose the collar or manner of attachment of the current shoe, nor does it disclose the lacing technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,856 issued to Yung-Mao Lin and James C. Autry on Feb. 25, 1986, discloses a hightop-type sneaker which is designed for basketball and similar events. It is designed for providing better support to the ankle area and is comprised of a complete inner and outer structure. Lacing means are provided to adjustably secure both the inner and outer support coverings about the foot and ankle of the wearer. Therefore there is similarity in the lacing technique with the current invention, however, the inner support of the Lin/Autry shoe is attached by stitching or the like to a lateral side of the sole portion of the shoe and extends rearwardly about the ankle of the foot from the point above the heel approximate the Achilles tendon to the medial side of the sole portion and is attached thereto to thus encircle the ankle. The inner support covering extends forwardly over the entire dorsum of the foot to overlay the metatarsal and cuneiform bones. This inner support therefore extends virtually all the way to the forward end of the tongue of the shoe, which is just to the rear of the toe cap. Essentially this Lin/Autry inner support is a complete upper which provides covering for disposal about the ankle of the foot as well as most of the other forward parts of the foot and therefore does not disclose the current invention.
Another Lin/Autry shoe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,088 issued May 5, 1987, discloses an above-the-ankle or hightop shoe designed to protect and support the Achilles tendon and ankle. This shoe essentially has an area of extra padding which is located in the back of the shoe near the Achilles tendon. Furthermore, this shoe has only one upper and the lacing therefore only concerns that one upper.
Yet another hightop, single upper athletic shoe is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,996 which issued to Edward J. Norton, et al, on June 5, 1984 and which includes a collar of cushioning material which encloses a cut-out area within the region of each ankle bone and extending around the heel and over the Achilles tendon. The collar of cushioning material actually encloses the cut-out area both above and below the ankle bones. This collar is not a separate part of the shoe but rather an integral part of the upper. The Norton shoe does not have any separate eyelets for lacing the collar.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,722 issued to Edward J. Norton on Dec. 24, 1985, an athletic shoe is disclosed which includes a back tab at the upper heel/ counter portion of the shoe which extends somewhat along the lateral and medial sides of the shoe, and which is designed primarily to support and accommodate the Achilles tendon. The shoe of the invention includes a sole unit and a shoe upper wherein the quarter portions and the upper heel portion are raised to a level very close to the ankle bones to provide increased support along both the lateral and medial sides of the foot. The back tab of the shoe in this patent is made of an inner and outer layer which refers to the inside and outside of the shoe, plus an intermediate layer of a cushioning material. This patent does not disclose the current invention.
Yet another form of foot support structure is found is U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,419 issued to Jacques Chassang on Mar. 25, 1986. The Chaussaing patent discloses an above-the-ankle athletic shoe which has a principal improvement in a tightening strap which essentially wraps around the upper ankle area to prevent ankle injuries.
Common walking, or normal wear shoes, do not provide the enhanced ankle support more often seen in athletic and high-top shoes and boots. Furthermore, even athletic shoes and high-top sneakers or boots do not provide independent lacing and support means for the ankle and upper instep areas.